On the Conference Trail

Selling Radio Direct with Pat Bryson

I recently returned from the Radiodays Conference held in Milan, Italy. Over 1300 radio broadcasters from 50 different countries convened for 3 days to learn, discuss, interact and enjoy the hospitality of this wonderful city.

You would think that radio people in Iceland or Ukraine would have different problems than those in small market USA or Canada or Australia. Some had certain “opportunities” that might be unique to their markets, but in large all of us experience the same frustrations. How do we maintain relational selling in a transactional world? What do we do with digital?  Do we sell it? Understand it? Wish for the “good ol’ days”?  Where do we find good people? What constitutes “compelling content” today? How do we attract and keep a new generation of listeners who live on their smart phones? What will our industry be like in 2025?

I’m not sure we came away with all the answers, but we did come away with new, fresh ideas. We enjoyed swapping stories and learning about events or techniques that have worked in other countries. And, most of all, we enjoyed the enthusiasm and passion that we have for our industry. That excitement was contagious and sent me home feeling even more confident that we will continue to be relevant to our listeners, and thus to our clients, for years to come. It’s all about understanding and reflecting the world of our two sets of clients: our listeners and our advertisers.

While you are reading this, I have just finished up at the NAB show in Vegas. Oh, and by the way, Radiodays Europe will be in Paris next March….just in case you want to put it on your calendars!

 

About The Author 

Pat Bryson is the founder of Bryson Broadcasting International, a consulting firm that works with radio stations around the world to increase revenue by raising the skill level of their sales staffs. Her client list spans from the United States to Canada, Europe and Central Asia.

Pat has spent her entire career creating a culture of over-achievement for her stations. She began her career in radio sales, becoming one of the highest billing sales people in her market. Her career advanced to General Sales Manager, and then to Market Manager. Since starting BBI 7 years ago, she has helped hundreds of radio stations to find, train and grow great quality sales people and managers.

Pat was the recipient of two prestigious educational fellowships from the Educational Foundation of the National Association of Broadcasters: a fellowship to the Executive Development Program and a fellowship to the Broadcast Leadership Training Program.

She publishes the Bryson Broadcasting International Newsletter twice monthly and is a contributor to Valerie Geller’s latest book, Beyond Powerful Radio: A Communicator’s Guide To The Internet Age.

You may contact Pat at [email protected] or visit her website at http://www.patbryson.com.

Read more Selling Radio with Pat Bryson here and here.